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Past Entertainment Articles. Article for the week of 10/12/08 ‘Rapala’s Fishing Frenzy’ for the Wii addicting for some, a torture for others By Ezra Mann (Editor and Web master) (Review will also be posted at www.fuelltothefire.com and http://www.b-scared.com) After much thought, I have come to the conclusion that the Nintendo Wii is the reincarnation of the Atari 2600. The graphics and everything else is greatly improved, but on both systems, gaming companies found a way to take a single or limited number of tasks, throw it together and call it a complete game. Examples: The crest tooth brushing game on the Atari and “Cooking Mama” on the Wii where there could be fun had, but somehow not exactly games of mass complication. Anyhoo, Rapala, famous for pimping fishing lures decided to once again get into the fishing video game market and this time make you feel like you are almost fishing. When testing this game out among friends “Rapala’s Fishing Frenzy” had mixed results, but still manages to steal a lot time out of the day. In this water extravaganza you have a few lakes to choose from, a plethora of lures, even fewer characters (a predesigned man or a woman) and a music track that can best be described as deliverance meets the weather channel. You can play open lake where you just fish for the heck of it, tournament fish where you’ve got to catch so many of a certain kind of fish and quick challenge where you can jump right into a random fishing mission. The actual gameplay is not all that bad and pretty simple, though to coin a pun some will be hooked like my wife playing for hours and others will get bored or decide that actual fishing is easier including my dad. You can even move your boat around if you don’t quite like the place where you are fishing, though as with the rest of the game the controls can be a bit tricky getting used to at first. The game would be a fine addition if this is your first fishing title for the Wii, but not really innovative enough if you have an extensive collection already. Still, it’s a decent single playing experience and if you need a quick weekend fix it should be worth at least a few laughs as a rental. Once you get a hang of catching fish you might just find that you are a casting addict. If I were to suggest improvements to Activision I would include more customization for the characters and for Wiimote’s sake throw in a side game where you can clean and cook your fish. Extra points if you don’t over season with lemon pepper. For a game that was at times both creepy and like a train wreck “Rapala’s Fishing Frenzy” deserves three and one fourth toggles out of six. 'Eagle Eye’ actually a tolerable cinematic offering By Ezra Mann (Editor and Web master) (Review also posted at www.fuelltothefire.com and White Hall Progress and will be posted at http://www.b-scared.com) It’s nice to go to the theaters every now and again with really low expectations to be surprised with a movie that’s slightly better than tolerable. The latest sci fi thriller to hit screens didn’t exactly scream award winner, but was still intriguing through the previews. Thankfully the end result was a fun flick perfect for a weekend out that actually held viewers in suspense from beginning to end. Sure, some of the ideas behind the film were a little far-fetched, but both the heroes and villains were convincing and even a bit creepy given certain scenes. Thumbs up “Eagle Eye” for not wasting wallet change. This gripping adventure focuses on the secretive world of intelligence gathering gone to the extreme. Main characters Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) and Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan) are ordinary citizens thrust into the fray with little choice but to participate or meet unfortunate circumstances. The film explores the possibility of what could happen if someone or something is given too much power over people’s lives and the consequences. It almost reminds me of some of Charlton Heston’s earlier work, sans the lines about dirty apes and tasty green squares being a people food. There isn’t anything too painful about the movie other than a bit of a cheesy happy ending and a few stretches on what technology can do. Movie goers will see a film that seems a lot like past sci fi classics along the lines of “Terminator” and “2001: A Space Odyssey” with enough originality to make it at least worth a rental. This would also be a great choice if you happen to have a drive-in theater nearby. Again I was surprised at how much I got into the movie and it should be appropriate for most ages, though the youngest kids might need to see something else instead. Even secondary characters play a decent role and I have to give props to BillyBob Thornton for his role as Agent Thomas Morgan who is both funny and intriguing. For a popcorn flick that shouldn’t leave audiences bored I’d say “Eagle Eye” deserves three out of five I’m sorry Daves out of five.
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